Thai Motorbike Helmet Put to the Test!

This subject is often brought up, there are those who reckon they are no better than having an over-sized eggshell on your head, then there are those who reckon that, for the price, you are getting a pretty good deal and something that's worth wearing.

Wonder no more, as one is tested to destruction on YT!

What do you folks think? Had any experiences or near escapes with your head in one of these?

Well 1st of all i would not have a helmet like that. The minimum would be a 'REAL' brand helmet.
The only tested Thai brand in Thailand.
But saying that. If it was a choice of helmet or NO helmet then that is far superior to NO helmet.

But as Davefl said in another thread.. Each to his own.

Ps I actually had a fairly bad accident using an INDEX helmet. that actually cracked. But I'm ok.. (I think)

I think most people don&#8217;t understand what a helmet is designed to do.
The outer shell has a number of functions. One of them is to provide a strong enough material to not shatter on impact and keep the outside of your head away from the hard surface that is impacted.

The second function is to provide the mould for the primary means of protection to be fitted to, which is the inner compression material. The outer shell should be flexible enough to deform, crack and even loose some of the material and it is still doing its job.

The inner compression material is what saves us and is vital.

When you hit the road or an object, the outer shell keeps your head away from the hard grinding surface or a tree etc.
In a normal crash, unless you are unconscious you would only probably hit the surface a couple of times maximum. So the outer shell even with that helmet quality in that demonstration can take these impacts easily.

The inner material is design to compress substantially when the impact forces your head towards the impact point. This is to try to slow down the sudden stopping of your head movement, which would be the case if the inner liner were solid or very thin.
In this case, the brain keeps moving and damages itself against your inner skull bone.
Therefore, when you consider buying these cheap helmets the inner compression lining is the section you want to look at.
If it is thin and hard, it will do very little to stop internal damage to your brain in an impact. In addition, I suggest if the inner lining is substandard, you can bet the outer shell is to.
A good quality helmet has an inner lining up to 30mm thick in some areas and can compress at least 70%. It is like an air bag in a car.
Once the inner lining has been compressed, the helmet should be discarded even if the outer shell has minor scratches, as the inner lining can&#8217;t save you twice.

Index is so crappy I've never considered it. The proof is the price. 1000 baht or less - it's not gonna be good.

Real is good, or so we hear. It claims to be DOT tested - hard to verify but the Helmets at least look solid. The Index looks and feels like the cheap crap that it probably is (I had one when I got my first D-Tracker, was waiting for my Kawasaki supplied Real which ended up taking months).

I am in love with SparX brand helmets. Mostly because this is the first helmet I have owned that actually fits me, sits very tight, yet it's a good oval shape and doesn't pressure my forehead. But also because in terms of function, day to day riding, riding in the dark, riding in the rain, riding at high speeds, the SparX has performed as well or better than my ill-fitting Arai which cost 18,000 Baht. The Arai was fine in the shop, but I'd develop pressure points after an hour and a huge headache when riding all day. Lessons learned! In any case, I did at least get to experience what a top end helmet should be like as far as visibility, fog resistance and so on. And the SparX performs as well for way less money. I paid 4,000 Baht for the SparX at Kawa CM.

Nolan have a good rep and I was considering one as well but it was a bit creaky - it was a flip up N103; and it was 13k I think. Kawa CM also have a Scorpion which has a good reputation as a good yet cheap helmet, and costs 9,000.

The SparX brand is based in California and passes DOT and ECE something (that Euro standard). It's positioned as "the next Scorpion" in some reports. E.g great performance for cheaps. I actually read the whole company story and background online so I have way too much info on that really - feel free to skip this... in short... they took a helmet shape they really liked - I guess either an Arai or Shoei - then teamed up with a huge helmet factory in China which makes helmets for the big brands; then did a lot of testing, and tried to create a design that's both simple and good; leaving out parts that can break easily or are hard to manufacture to keep the price down. Made the helmet so it can be operated with gloves on. Got some funky designs. Aaaaand... success!

nikster;265120 wrote: Index is so crappy I've never considered it. The proof is the price. 1000 baht or less - it's not gonna be good.

Real is good, or so we hear. It claims to be DOT tested - hard to verify but the Helmets at least look solid. The Index looks and feels like the cheap crap that it probably is (I had one when I got my first D-Tracker, was waiting for my Kawasaki supplied Real which ended up taking months).

Click to expand...

Thanks for the big reply there, Index is my helmet of choice, it's under-rated and not much weaker than an over-priced Japanese one.
Comfortable and a very good compromise for riding a bike in a tropical country. Some of you big-spenders on the pricey Arai's and Shoeis may have a couple more degree's of protection...
But I can tell you you pay for that with the increased helmet weight and having worn them out here it can really get you in the neck after a medium to long ride. At cruisey speeds about you'll cook in the Thai heat more.

However the real problem with Index helmets is the lack of available sizes in medium or small (which are usually bought up straight away...

Real claims to be DOT tested eh? That does sound quirky if they are a Thai make and DOT is US based right?

I understand what hte different shells layers on a helmet are for, BUT helmet strength isn't just about resisting the trauma factor

CBR;265158 wrote: Thanks for the big reply there, Index is my helmet of choice, it's under-rated and not much weaker than an over-priced Japanese one.
Comfortable and a very good compromise for riding a bike in a tropical country. Some of you big-spenders on the pricey Arai's and Shoeis may have a couple more degree's of protection...
But I can tell you you pay for that with the increased helmet weight and having worn them out here it can really get you in the neck after a medium to long ride. At cruisey speeds about you'll cook in the Thai heat more.

However the real problem with Index helmets is the lack of available sizes in medium or small (which are usually bought up straight away...

Real claims to be DOT tested eh? That does sound quirky if they are a Thai make and DOT is US based right?

I understand what hte different shells layers on a helmet are for, BUT helmet strength isn't just about resisting the trauma factor

Click to expand...

You are making so many false assumptions. If you stick something on your head that hasn't been tested, it's not a motorcycle helmet, it's a brain bucket.

Do you know that an index brain bucket is not much "weaker" than a DOT or SNELL certified Japanese Motorcycle Helmet? No, of course you don't.

Your first misconception is that a better helmet weighs more. False.

Second that the higher the price the better the helmet. False.

Third that a better helmet will be hotter. False.

Fourth that REAL Brand helmets don't meet DOT specifications just because they are a Thai brand. What nonsense. Are you accusing REAL of faking the DOT label on their helmets? That's a very serious accusation. Fortunately you are wrong as REAL helmets are tested to meet DOT and Thai TIS specifications. It's obvious you have little understanding about how DOT certification works:

USDOT standard is a manufacturer self-certification. Manufacturers conduct the required tests in their laboratories and if a manufacturer certifies that its helmet is compliant with the USDOT standard, then the company can make and sell that helmet with a DOT sticker.

A helmet is of no use if it doesn't provide protection, and that D.O.T. (U.S. Department of Transportation) or ECE sticker on the back is your assurance that when the day comes, the helmet will perform. The D.O.T. standard (officially designated Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard no. 21 requires, among other things, that a helmet soak up a significant amount of impact energy, prevent most penetration, and have a fastening system that will withstand significant force.

There are many differences between brain buckets like Index and real D.O.T. certified motorcycle helmets, but one of the most important is the use of an expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam liner (which resembles Styrofoam) inside a real helmet. It is the EPS that actually absorbs the energy of an impact. In doing so, it gets crushed, and unlike the foam-rubber comfort liner, it is non-resilient. Once crushed, it has lost its energy-absorbing capability, which is why a helmet should be replaced once you taken a hit in it. Look for the EPS liner if you have any doubts about the helmet being a genuine D.O.T.-compliant model.

Good luck with your Index- the truth is, if it hasn't been tested you have no idea how it will perform and protect you in a crash. See the helmet that FAILED the test at 5:44 of the video? Looks a lot like an Index to me...

Ride On!

Tony

ps.

Some additional information about DOT testing and certification from the REAL HELMET website:

I believe the video of beating a helmet with a baton has little or no credibility to testing it's safety.

I've previously posted the below links which give a decent overview of helmet testing
procedures and ratings. Helmet prices are not relative, as there inexpensive helmets
that meet/exceed Snell and/or ECE standards. Helmets with higher prices may be do their
being more comfortable or that the brand has an image (like Rolex watches vs Timex),
but neither is relative to the helmets safety rating.

Thanks for posting that article up... I have posted it here before, and was about to go searching for it again to repost...

I would reckon that Index and Real brand helmets would be at least equivalent of the helmets we can buy here in Australia for 2000Baht... Lots of Chinese helmets that HAVE been tested, and passed to Australian Standards...

Not Snell standard, but after reading that article, I never want a Snell standard helmet...

The sout east asia Market has been polluted for years with plastic cap called "crash helmets", so it is indeed very difficult to promote safety products among thai youngsters.

for 2011, Shark Helmets 2010 collection are available at 40 to 50% discount all year long through our dealer network in Thailand : WHipping Racing in Chiang Mai, Ninja Shop ,blacksteed in Bangkok, Pattaya superbikes in pattaya...

I purchased an RSI from one of your suppliers this past weekend. Bad news is even with the discount, it costed me 7,000 baht, which is $233 as of today. That is still more than what others pay in Europe for the same helmet (I understand RSI has many graphic options and prices vary accordingly). And these helmets are made in Thailand. For some reason I feel like prices should be cheaper here.

I have been wondering for the past few days - how come there is no sticker (besides the Thai sticker all Index, Real etc helmets also have) on the helmet about any kind of safety standard(s) it passed?